New york - June 12, 2010 -- Just the other day, Glenn Beck, the Tea Party hero and Fox News host promoted, without reservation, a book written by Elizabeth Dilling, The Red Network: A "Who's Who" and Handbook of Radicalism for Patriots. In the book she opines that "the problem of the large number of revolutionary Russian Jews in Germany doubtless contributed toward making Fascist Germany anti-Semitic." i.e. Naziism. Elizabeth Dilling, was a vocal anti-Semite, who actively supported Hitler and the Nazis during World War II.

No sooner did Beck endorse the book when there was a national outcry, reacting to his favorable comments about the book. In stead of apologizing for his complete disregard to the Jewish Holocaust experience, Beck said:

BECK: But I'm also getting some amazing mail from the left that now says I'm a Nazi anti-Semite because I quoted a book on Friday -- it was the Red Book, or something like that. It was a who's who, who's in the communist party in 1935. Apparently, I don't know, apparently written by a Nazi sympathizer here in America. Part of the, I'm sure -- I don't know because I didn't look it up -- but I'm sure part of the Father Coughlin, social justice crowd, because this is the choice that progressives give you -- you're either a Nazi or a communist. No, I'm neither. But now -- so now I'm kind of stuck between the place where the left says that I'm a Nazi sympathizer and a Jew lover. So I guess the left can have it all, that ((I'm a Jew-loving Nazi sympathizer.)) It's a really interesting place that I don't know if anybody's ever been. [emphasis added]

It seems that since Obama was elected president, a camouflaged layer of white supremacist and anti semites have been floating to the surface of the political ocean. Similar to the oil pouring out of BP's Gulf Disaster, once it escapes, cleanup is almost impossible.

As if discovery that SB 1070, the "papers please" law was introduced to Arizona Congress by Sen. Pierce a known associate of the Neo-Nazi movement was not enough. Newt Gingrich made a statement that the Obama administration's policies represent "as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union once did" and 89-year-old journalist, Helen Thomas, emoted the other day that the Jews [should] "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland and Germany. A remark she made after attending a White House celebration of National Jewish Month.

Now Glen Beck, an icon of the republican Tea Party movement has joined the fray and even though, he would like to water down his enthusiastic recommendation of the book, it is too late. The more he talks about it, the more he appears to be; an anti-semite, Neo-Nazi lover that would like to see 12 million immigrants and their family to get the hell out of his America.

And Dilling was not just any anti-semite. She was an important part of the Ku Klux Klan's voice in the 1990's. When David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the Klan ran for the 1992 Republican presidential nomination, Dilling's book, The Plot Against Christianity, was vividly portrayed on Duke's web site, He included a quote form the book that the Bolshevik Revolution was "heavily financed by outside Jewish financial and banking houses," and that "This Jewish control still exists, despite propaganda to the contrary, designed to delude and deceive non-Jews."

Anti-Semitic remarks are not new to Glenn Beck. In 2009 following the horrifying shooting at the Holocaust Museum in D.C., Beck commentated that "What they're missing is: The pot in America is boiling. And this is just yet another warning to all Americans of things to come…. There is gonna be a witch hunt, I believe, in this country, and quite possibly all around the world. For two groups. First group: Jews. It happens every time."

More to the point, this is precisely the same belief system that today fuels the cottage industry in conspiracy theories -- promulgated by the likes of Ron Paul and Alex Jones -- that the Fed is part of a massive conspiracy of "international [read: Jewish] bankers" to enslave Americans and destroy the country. It's been around quite awhile, but lately it's been gaining the patina of being regurgitated for mainstream consumption on right-wing media. And in particular, on Glenn Beck's programs.

Americans must always be diligent in understanding the messages they receive from TV and radio hosts, who have the power and ability to manipulate the audiences' mind with a modified version of reality which only serves to promote their private agenda.

May 13, 2010 -- Arizona -- Evidence that Arizona's new anti-immigrant law was was written and introduced to Arizona congress by Neo Nazi supporters has come to light. Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who submitted the bill has, for many years, been associated with local Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Look at his background.

In 2006, he came out speaking enthusiastically about the 1950’s deportation act “Operation Wetback” and for sending email to his supporters reminiscing the greatness of this program. In this email he included an attachment from a white supremacy group and made the conspiratorial claim that journalists pushed the view of: “a world in which every voice proclaims the equality of the races, the inerrant nature of the Jewish ‘Holocaust’ tale, the wickedness of attempting to halt the flood of non-White aliens pouring across our borders…”

In 2007, Pierce was photographed with J.T. Ready spokesman for the National Socialist Movement, better known as the Nazi Party. They refer to themselves, “the premier white civil right organization in the world.” The group claims to be true patriots claiming that they are only against non-white immigration. J.T. Ready has said that closing the borders is crucial to preserving the white race. “Let's face it,” he said. “We're not being invaded by Swedish nuns here. We're on a border with a country that is a hostile country.” Pierce is also known for speaking at Neo-Nazi rallies and conferences.

Just recently in Los Angeles, Neo-Nazi rallied against illegal aliens. They waved American flags and banners with swastikas, wore black military uniforms and helmets. They shouted ‘Sieg Heil’ before each of their members began speaking.

In 2008, Pierce sponsored Senate Bill 1108, which would make it impossible for students at Universities to join groups based in whole or part because of their ethnicity, claiming it would indoctrinate people with anti-American mentality. As if the relationship could not be any clearer, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer yesterday signed a bill targeting a school district's ethnic studies program, Arizona law now prohibits classes that promote ethnic solidarity, that are created primarily for students of a particular race or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group.

Kris Kobach, who is currently running for Secretary of State of Kansas, authored the anti immigrant law, SB 1070. Kobach is an attorney for Immigration Reform Law Institute, the legal arm of the chameleon organization named Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. As Rachel Maddow revealed in a recent program, the founder of FAIR is a well-known racist. The seed money he used to start FAIR came from an infamous Eugenics (the same thing the Nazi’s did) outfit.

FAIR is just one piece of a vast and powerful anti-immigrant organization, created over the last 30 years, and orchestrated by John Tanton. His organization has been able to insinuate itself into many of the social and political debates of our time.

Tanton developed many different entities so that it appears that there are numerous advocates for what he sees and the ideal society. Another of his group, the Center for Immigration Studies, acts as so called "think tank" to the anti-immigrant movement. Some other entities he is invalid with is the Coalition for the Future American Worker , Progressives for Immigration Reform, NumbersUSA, Immigration Reform Law Institute, United to Secure America Coalition. These are just a few of his many groups that work in unison trying earnestly to modify America's thinking on immigration.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League have connected these groups with racists, white supremacists, and political extremists.

The Tanton message is blatantly clear - no more immigrants in the U.S. and those that are here should leave.

These are the background players in Arizona's new anti-immigrant laws.

There was a time that Republicans were committed to protect America from anything that appeared to be connected to violations of personal liberty and would have emphatically fought against these type or organizations. Apparently in 2010 the republican party has morphed into something else. ((Today's republicans have forsaken the ideals and political precepts of men like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater)) and seem have chosen to forget the American dream and it's integrity.

It's truly difficult to comprehend how Arizona, a state whose population is one-third Hispanic would want to alienate a significant segment of their residents; mostly hard working family members. Even as I write other states are following Arizona's lead.

Yes, it is irrefutable that the borders have to be secured to prevent criminals from entering the United States as well as to prevent future illegal immigration. It is also understandable that Arizona has been pushed into this position by the federal government's failure to fix the broken immigration laws. However, the Arizona law,as written, will never accomplish its intended goal of security and instead, will only serve to violate the rights of of all Americans. Only with comprehensive immigration reform can this country resume the path intended by our founders and America will once again be "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

New York - May 5, 2010 -- There are always two sides to a story and the latest immigration law to come out of Arizona is no exception. To understand the situation better, let’s first review the law, SB 1070; the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations.

The new Arizona law allows state officials to inquire into the immigration status of any person based upon "reasonable suspicion":

For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person.

The statute also prohibits so-called sanctuary cities, which prevents a city or town from arresting illegal aliens unless they have committed a crime.

Additionally, the law mandates that a person is guilty of the crime of trespassing if the person is both: "present on any public or private land in this state" and in violation of federal immigration statutes. The statute further restricts the judge’s decision by requiring that there is no eligibility for "suspension or commutation of sentence or release for any reason until the sentence imposed is completed.

In other words, the law makes failure to carry proof of citizenship or legal status a crime, and any immigrant (legal or illegal) who can't produce the documentation can be arrested, fined $2,500 and jailed for up to six months. Until the Arizona law goes into effect, a person in illegal status is not a criminal. Being illegal in the U.S. has always been an administrative violation subject to deportation and not incarceration.

Two Primary Issues with the law:

Racial Profiling – The state and county enforcement officers are to use the “reasonable suspicion” standard when coming into lawful contact with any individual, not just illegal alien. It could even be an American citizen.. This should mean that the officer must have to have some reason, outside of race alone, to request documentation from the individual who is stopped, questioned, detained, arrested, etc. Governor Brewer recently toned down the “any awful contact” however, officers may stop and ask for documents from everyone in a van or car that is blocking or impeding the flow of traffic. This is a very low level of inquiry, which can basically stop a major portion of drivers.

Doctrine of preemption – Whether the Arizona law usurps the power of the Federal Government to be the sole arbiter of immigration laws.

Proponents Argument #1

Doctrine or Preemption - Since the federal government did not do anything about the immigration problem they are in essence relegating the responsibility to the individual states as permitted by the 10th Amendment of the Constitution.

SB 1070 would expose the fact that the Federal Administration has completely abandoned its duty to secure the border and enforce our immigration laws, ultimately forcing Arizona to enact the law. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) described the law a reaction to the federal government's inaction, "I think the frustration is that the federal government isn't enforcing the laws, so we're going to do it on the state level." (The Hill, April 26, 2010). Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that his state had to pass a tough immigration law because Obama has failed to "secure our borders." (The Associated Press, April 27, 2010). He added that the situation in his state is "the worst I've ever seen."

Their argument should fail. Generally, the federal government has exclusive control over immigration. For more than a century, the U.S. Supreme Court consistently has ruled that the federal government has the exclusive power to regulate immigration. In a series of cases in the late nineteenth century upholding sections of the Chinese Exclusion Acts, the Supreme Court expressed the federal immigration power in far-reaching terms, as a plenary power not subject to normal judicial restraints. In subsequent decisions the Court has time after time confirmed Congress’s exclusive authority over Immigration. State and local laws that try to regulate immigration infringe on the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and are therefore preempted by federal law.

Proponents Argument # 2

Proponents of the law have repetitively refer to the killing of two Phoenix police officers by illegal immigrants in 2007, or the recent killing of a cattle rancher near the Mexican border by a drug smuggler. State Rep. John Kavanagh, a co-sponsor of the law, said of illegal immigrants, "They bring a lot of crime with them."

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris told reporters that some 10% of his arrests are illegal immigrants — a number near the estimated percentage of undocumented immigrants in the local population. The Maricopa County sheriff's office, which runs the jail for Phoenix and surrounding cities, said 20% of its inmates are illegal immigrants. Fifteen percent of state prisoners are illegal immigrants.

The bill's proponents contend that criminals in Mexico are increasingly heading north through Arizona. "A large portion of [illegal immigrants] are coming here seeking a life and, quite frankly, fleeing the violence in Mexico," said Brian Livingston, executive director of the Arizona Police Assn., who added he was persuaded to back SB 1070 by calls from a Latina complaining that no one arrested illegal immigrant gang members in her neighborhood. "Amongst those people are criminal elements who prey on those people," he said.

This argument should not succeed, as it is an exaggeration.

* According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, violent crimes in Arizona fell from 512 per 100,000 people in 2005 to 447 per 100,000 people in 2008, the last year for which data is available.

* According to a 2008 report from the conservative Americas Majority Foundation, crime rates are lowest in states with the highest immigration growth rates, such as Arizona. From 1999 to 2006, the total crime rate declined 13.6 percent in the 19 highest-immigration states (including Arizona), compared to a 7.1 percent decline in the other 32 states.

* Although the unauthorized immigrant population doubled to about 12 million from 1994 to 2004, data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that the violent crime rate in the United States declined by 35.1 percent during this time and the property crime rate fell by 25.0 percent.

Well is the law racist in nature or appropriate under the circumstances?

To determine whether the law is racist in nature we have to see who wrote the law and who submitted it to Arizona’s congress. In a recent Rachel Maddow show she established clearly who the participants were. As you will soon agree, they are all racists.

Senator Russell Pearce, introduced the law to the Arizona State. He authored an official email to his supporters and donor base in which he made the conspiratorial claim that journalists pushed the view of:

“a world in which every voice proclaims the equality of the races, the inerrant nature of the Jewish ‘Holocaust’ tale, the wickedness of attempting to halt the flood of non-White aliens pouring across our borders…”

In the photos above and the video on your left, the close relationship between Pearce and J.T. Ready is displayed. Ready is a Minuteman and nativist, photographed with the comparatively strong Neo-Nazi movement in Arizona. His other ties have been well documentedby the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Pearce has been associated with local Neo-Nazi and John Birch types for many years. In 2006, he came under attack for speaking commendably of a 1950s federal deportation program called Operation Wetback, and for sending an e-mail message to his supporters that included an attachment from a white supremacist group.

Critics point out the law in itself is a clear violation of the 4th Amendment, and is unconstitutional. Others agree that there is simply no way that a ‘reasonable suspicion’ can apply without actual racial profiling take place.

Kris Kobach, who is running for Secretary of State in Kansas, authored the law itself. The man is also a firm believer in the birther conspiracy that contends Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

Kobach is an attorney for Immigration Reform Law Institute, the legal arm of the chameleon named organization Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. As Maddow reveals, the founder of FAIR was a well-known racist and the seed money to get it started also came from an infamous Eugenics (the same thing the Nazi’s did) outfit. See the video.

As Rachel Maddowrevealed in her show last week, the founder of FAIR is known racist.

There seems to be no doubt that the law was written by racist neo Nazi sympathizers working on their own agenda: to turn America into a fascist country.

Politicians in at least five states are pushing for their state legislatures to pass immigration laws that mirror Arizona's new measure.

Lawmakers in Texas, Utah, Georgia, Ohio and Maryland are attaching to Arizona's hard-line approach to illegal immigration, which appears to have gained support many conservatives who argue that such a law is necessary in the absence of adequate federal policies. The law, however, has outraged people across the country that say it violates Americans' Constitutional rights and/or infringes on federal authority to regulate immigration.

Today the Washington D.C. Council joined the fight against Arizona’s law, as it sponsored a bill forbidding the police chief from sharing arrest data with federal immigration officials (except for criminal aliens) and also declared their undivided support for a resolution calling on the city to discontinue doing business with Arizona.

Council member Michael Brown (I-At large) said parallel resolutions will be introduced or have already been introduced in Boston, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Chicago.

Is this what Pearce and the other racist promoters of the anti-immigrant Arizonian law really trying to do: Destroy the United States, by pitting one state against the other?

The effect of this law is eerily similar to how the Jews were treated in Germany at the start of World War II. Nazi in 1939, Nazi in 2010. Jews were required to carry papers and identify themselves publicly. That is the same method the neo-Nazi linked legislator set up the current immigration law in Arizona.

Unless the president steps in, and does it fast, this country will go down a very slippery slope.

When ArtistJimmy Margulies reacted to Arizona's new immigration law, he drew Gov. Jan Brewer's state as the mustache of Hitler he did not expect the reaction of other Jewish Americans.

The Anti Defamation League (ADL) took issue with Margulies's imagery and it’s national director Abraham H. Foxman opined "We are seeing these offensive and inappropriate Nazi and Holocaust comparisons come to the fore in the public debate once again. We saw it in the health care debate, and now we are seeing it with Arizona,.. It is disturbing that in speaking out against the bill a number of individuals have taken to using Nazi comparisons, in describing the legislation as being reminiscent of Nazi policies that required Jews and others to carry identity cards, or in comparing the governor and other Arizona officials as being like Hitler,"

Foxman explained that: "No matter how odious, bigoted, biased and unconstitutional Arizona's new law may be, let's be clear that there is no comparison between the situation facing immigrants, legal or illegal, in Arizona and what happened in the Holocaust."

Speaking to Comic Riffs, a daily comics blog covering the world of comics, from strips to superheroes, Margulies clarified that his raising a Nazi analogy was appropriate to remember the memory of the Holocaust.

Margulies commented that '"[as] a Jew of Eastern European descent, I am well aware of the unique horror of the Nazi era. It is all the more important that I, and others of good conscience who are able to reach an audience, do so in the face of abhorrent laws such as Arizona's. I do not think it diminishes the memory of the Holocaust to point out that the law in Arizona is uncomfortably reminiscent of Germany's in targeting one or more minorities. Before the concentration camps, there were smaller measures enacted which set the stage for greater acts. "The Arizona law gives police too much power by casting as suspects anyone who looks to be Latino or foreign-born."

Margulies is not alone in his opinion. Baldemar Velasquez President,of FLOC (Alliance of Greater Toledo and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee of Toledo) said he's worried other states, including Ohio, will introduce "copycat bills….The wrong-headed people got their way and woe to those who pass unjust laws because the government and a majority of people can pass unjust laws," he said. "That's what they did during the civil rights movements like Jim Crow laws and that's what they did in Nazi Germany."

Former Toledo City Councilman Louis Escobar compared Arizona to Nazi Germany. "I am a second-generation American and I was elected by the people and yet I could go to the state of Arizona and a police officer would be in his right to ask that I prove that I am an American citizen," Mr. Escobar said after about 40 people marched in South Toledo at Broadway and Logan Street…. I would go to jail because I am not about to produce some papers," he said. "All I can think of is Nazi Germany. “

“When I heard about it, it reminded me of Nazi Germany," said Hispanic Federation President Lillian Rodríguez López. "It reminded me of South African apartheid."

Jewish Colorado Representative Democrat Jared Polis says Arizona is on its way to becoming a “police state” and its new immigration law is “reminiscent” of Nazi Germany.

“It is absolutely reminiscent of second class status of Jews in Germany prior to World War II when they had to have their papers with them at all times and were subject to routine inspections at the suspicion of being Jewish… I fear that Arizona is headed for a police state and it really underscores the need for immigration reform at the federal level to fix our system,” he said.

Polis pointed out he was not making a comparison of the Arizona law to the Holocaust but rather to the time before the war when Jews were forced to carry papers and identify themselves publicly as Jews. “I think it’s a very fair comparison and I hope that we’re not headed on the same trajectory that Nazi Germany was,” Polis sated. “But this was a very recent experience for Jewish Americans and Jews worldwide and it’s something that when we see similarities we start ringing alarm bells.”

What is feeding this fire is that ((Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce introduced the law. Pearce has been associated with local Neo-Nazi and John Birch types for many years)). In 2006, he came under attack for speaking commendably of a 1950s federal deportation program called Operation Wetback, and for sending an e-mail message to his supporters that included an attachment from a white supremacist group.

The law originated with Kris Kobach, who is running for Secretary of State in Kansas. Kobach is also a proponent in the birther conspiracy that contends Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

Kobach is an attorney for Immigration Reform Law Institute, the legal arm of the chameleon named organization Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. As Rachel Maddow revealed in her show last week, the founder of FAIR is known racist.

Since the passage of Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law SB 1070, which was signed into law by Governor Brewer last week, there are many people confused about the wording, claiming that only if a person commits a crime would they would be arrested. Apparently they have not read the exact words of the law because it is quite clear, that a police officer can arrest anyone the he has “reasonable suspicion” that the person is unlawfully present in the state. The person does not have to commit any crime to be stopped; he or she just has to “look like” and illegal alien. And this is the crux of the problem. Once the officer determines that the person is an illegal alien, he will determine that a crime has been committed, because the law makes a person who is illegal in Arizona, a trespasser and, now that has become a crime. Understand that under current law, being illegal is not a crime; it is an administrative violation punishable by deportation, not jail. This law creates a new crime, for just being illegal in the country. I submit, that the state does not have the power to create this crime as any immigration violation is within the ambit of federal law. Arizona has overstepped its boundaries.

Following is a portion of the black letter law of SB 1070. Read it and judge for yourself.

The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout all of Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.

11-1051. Cooperation and assistance in enforcement of immigration laws; indemnification

A. NO OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OROTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY ADOPT A POLICY THAT LIMITS OR RESTRICTS THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS TO LESS THAN THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW.

B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE,WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).

C. IF AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES ISCONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF STATE OR LOCAL LAW, ON DISCHARGE FROM IMPRISONMENT OR ASSESSMENT OF ANY FINE THAT IS IMPOSED, THE ALIEN SHALL BE TRANSFERRED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CUSTODY OF THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

D. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY SECURELY TRANSPORT AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND WHO IS IN THE AGENCY'S CUSTODY TO A FEDERAL FACILITY IN THIS STATE OR TO ANY OTHER POINT OF TRANSFER INTO FEDERAL CUSTODY THAT IS OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

E. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WITHOUT A WARRANT, MAY ARREST A PERSON IF THE OFFICER HAS PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON HAS COMMITTED ANY PUBLIC OFFENSE THAT MAKES THE PERSON REMOVABLE FROM THE UNITED STATES.

F. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN FEDERAL LAW, OFFICIALS OR AGENCIES OF THIS STATE AND COUNTIES, CITIES, TOWNS AND OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THIS STATE MAY NOT BE PROHIBITED OR IN ANY WAY BE RESTRICTED FROM SENDING, RECEIVING OR MAINTAINING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL OR EXCHANGING THAT INFORMATION WITH ANY OTHER FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY FOR THE FOLLOWING OFFICIAL PURPOSES...

Today President Obama will welcome the leaders of 47 governments to his Nuclear Security Summit. It will be another milestone in the President’s efforts to establish America’s role in the world and the largest gathering of world leader since 1945. He calls it the "single biggest threat to U.S. security" and is looking for cooperation from the rest of the world in arresting the development of improper use of nuclear energy and to rid the country of nuclear weapons. His primary concern is that some terrorist group like al-Qaida "could change the security landscape in this country and around the world for years to come."

On Sunday, spoke to individual leaders such as Chinese president Hu Jintao. regarding nuclear materials as well as including Iran, trade, and the U.S.-Chinese currency dispute,King Abdullah II of Jordan, regarding the Middle East peace process and India and Pakistan as well as several others. Following these meeting he said "I feel very good at this stage in the degree of commitment and a sense of urgency that I have seen from the world leaders so far on this issue," Obama said. "We think we can make enormous progress on this, and this then becomes part and parcel of the broader focus that we've had over the last several weeks."

Last week the president approved a new nuclear policy for the United States. He pledged to decrease America's nuclear collection, desist from nuclear tests and will not use nuclear weapons against countries without such weapons. It is noted that North Korea and Iran were not part of the promise as they have failed to cooperate with other countries on nonproliferation principles.

In a recent interview on ABC's "Good Morning America " Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev the President of the Russian Federation also opined that Iran's nuclear agenda requires close monitoring. Support from the Russian and Chinese leaders would be imperative if any sanctions against Iran is to be imposed.

NITEROI, Brazil — with over 400 people now believed dead in one of the worst flooding to engulf Brazil in decades 150 rescuers raced against the clock Saturday in the midst of vanishing optimism of discovering more survivors. Firefighters said there was little chance of finding new survivors after part of the hillside fell away and consumed everything in its path.

More than 70 hours have past since the most powerful rains in half a century unearthed mudslides and floods and rescue workers still have much to do.

In the Niteroi shantytown of Morro do Bumba, the total death toll climbed to 219. More than 200 people may have been buried alive. The town itself, a slum (favela) is perched atop a garbage dump.

The town of Niteroi was the epicenter of Mother Nature’s attack, with more than 134 dead. Another 60 were found across the bay in Rio de Janeiro.

Because homes were damaged over 50,000 people were required to leave their homes, Some were ordered to leave because officials feared fresh landslides.

A survivor, said "We ran and everything starting coming down ... the kitchen, my brothers' room, the living room," she said. "But in the other room it stopped, so when that happened we opened the window ... we jumped into the woods and ran away."

There are more than a million people live in favelas all around the Rio area.

There have been complaints by health experts that government "complacency" is to blame for permitting the country's poorest to build their homes in areas that is a prevalent risk of natural disasters, such as on on the sides of hills were many favelas are built.

City officials have say that "This isn't the time to question why these constructions were allowed, it is the time for solidarity," Sergio Cabral, Rio's governor, said so during an inspected the disaster zone.

On Thursday Brazil's federal government announced a $113m emergency fund to help Rio state manage with the catastrophe.

New York - Lil Wayne the 27-year-old Grammy Award winning singer is now a working jailbird. His new job, as a suicide watcher at Rikers Island, a maximum-security prison in New York, earns him 50 cents an hour. That’s about $1,000 per year, slightly less than the 42 million dollars he earned last year. According to his ex-girlfriend and mother of his 11 year-old daughter, Antonia 'Toya' Johnson "Wayne has a job. They got him on suicide watch for other prisoners. He watches the crazy prisoners and makes sure they don't kill themselves. He likes the job, even though they don't pay him much. It's probably the best job you can have in the jail. It's the highest paying job in there."

As a suicide watcher Lil Wayne keeps an eye on despondent fellow inmates who have suicidal tendencies. The job may offer him ideas for new music while he serves out his one year for illegal gun possession.

Lil Wayne started his prison term last month, which was his punishment for tossing aside a bag with a loaded .40-caliber handgun during a 2007 traffic stop in New York of his tour bus which smelled of marijuana,

Lil Wayne, who has promised to keep working on his music while behind bars, had already said goodbye to his fans during recent concerts and in an online video messages.

Life does not stand still and while Wayne adjusts to prison life, his friend DJ Scoob Doo announced a new documentary Road 2 Rikers , which will feature candid footage from Lil Wayne's last days of freedom. "You [can] just imagine what I [filmed], being with the team, and being with Wayne on his countdown to jail,”

Framingham - April 10, 2010 - Census 2010 is trying it’s hardest to get everyone, including illegal immigrants, to fill out the census form. In an effort to try “a new approach to an old problem” they are adding a new tool to their arsenal, a comic book.

The comic which is written in Portuguese tries to to comfort Brazilians that the 2010 Census is truly confidential and will in the end provide them with a benefit, because an accurate count will be result in more money available for funding of schools, hospitals and public safety,

Not every Brazilian like the idea:

“That’s disgusting,’’ said Fausto da Rocha, cofounder of the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Allston, when questioned about the comic book. “I work to boycott the census. We want the government to work to legalize first and count second.’’

Others have a different concept of the project. A longtime community activist in Framingham, Vera Dias-Freitas, said nearly all Brazilians she knows have agreed to support the population count. She favors the comic book, even though she at first thought it was aimed at children.

“It’s really cool,’’ she said. “The census is doing a pretty good job, reaching out to the Brazilian community.’’

Brazilian members of the census staff came up with the idea for the publication and contacted award-winning cartoonist Daniel Nocêra, a native of Brazil who lives in Boston.

“Zé Brasil & Tião Mineiro,’’ the two stars of his comic, are everyman characters, The kid about needing an extra form for their many apartment mates

Distribution is massive. Any places where Brazilians already get Portuguese-language publications, they have provided free copies of the comic book.

“It seemed like a unique opportunity to reach our fastest-growing immigrant population here in Massachusetts, and to reach them with in-language communications,’’ said Kathleen Ludgate, regional director for the US Census Bureau.

A group of advocates have been urging illegal immigrants and their supporters nationwide to boycott the census in a protest the federal government’s inaction on immigration legislation. The movement, launched by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, a Washington, D.C.-based organization representing 20,000 churches nationwide, calls for immigration reform by April 1.

“Politicians broke their promise to us,’’ said da Rocha, who supports the boycott. “We don’t have access to higher education, we don’t have access to driver’s licenses. Why do you want us to be counted if we don’t have any of these kind of rights?’’

Not all community activists agree. “It’s really getting to the nerves of people, what he’s doing,’’ Dias-Freitas said of da Rocha’s effort.

Dias-Freitas said the boycott campaign has more people talking — and learning — about the census, and she predicts the effort will boomerang and more Brazilians will take part in the census.

According to the Census Bureau , cartoonist Nocera created the characters in 2005, and they have appeared in Brazilian newspapers around the country,.

The population information collected by the census will be used to allocate some $400 billion in federal funding, as, of course, will determine the number of House seats each state gets.\

For the first time, there is no long form; this year’s version has 10 questions, which should take 10 minutes to complete,

The census form is available in six languages, but Portuguese is not one of them. Brazilians who don’t speak English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean or Russian will have to use a Portuguese language assistance guide to fill out the English version of the questionnaire.

Ilton Lisboa hosts a Brazilian radio talk show in Framingham Massachusetts twice a week on 650 AM. As a member of the Portuguese-Speaking Complete Count Committee, he encourages traditionally hard-to-count Brazilians to modify their ways this year.

The comic book has been a well-liked tool in that effort, he said.

“We are always under counted,’’ said Lisboa. “Every single city and town has their own budget and the budget is based on the population. I feel bad for a mayor or town manager who thinks they have a certain number of people living there but they don’t know for sure because immigrants are always under counted.’’

CITY OF NEWARK TO HOST FREE CAPOEIRA AND AFRO-BRAZILIAN DANCE PERFORMANCE

AT CITY HALL ROTUNDA ON THURSDAY, APRIL 15, AT 7 P.M.

Local and internationally recognized dance groups will perform 400-year-old martial art form

Newark, NJ- March 18, 2010 – Mayor Cory A. Booker announced today that the City of Newark will host a Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian Dance Performance in the City Hall Rotunda, on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. The event will also include samba and maculele performances as well as other Afro-Brazilian dances. The performance isFREE and open to the public. City Hall is located at 920 Broad Street in Newark.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that originated more than 400 years ago on the sugar cane plantations of Brazil. It is characterized by its combination of evasive fighting techniques, acrobatic movements, and musical rhythmic dance moves. It started at a time when enslaved Africans were forbidden from practicing the combat methods that evolved in Africa. Capoeira was used as a means of preserving these combat methods under the guise of traditional dance. It has been an important way of preserving customs indigenous to African heritage.

“The Brazilian, Portuguese, and African communities have long been a source of Newark’s strength, and we are proud to host this opportunity to showcase this 400-year-old art form, and make it fresh to new generations of Newark residents. This performance will manifest the excellence of Newark’s own performing artists, and their dedication and commitment to a stronger, prouder, and better Newark. I urge residents to attend the Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian Dance Performance and salute all the artists,” said Mayor Booker.

Performers will include students and instructors from Capoeira academies in and around Newark, as well as from top institutions around the world. The event represents the fourth year that the City of Newark has hosted the Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian Dance Performance in the City Hall Rotunda. Last year’s celebration drew Capoeira professionals and students from across the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

The event is organized by the New Jersey/New York branch of Grupo Senzala – one of the oldest and largest Capoeira groups in the world. The group organizes it in conjunction with its annual Batizado (Graduation) Ceremony for students. Grupo Senzala trains at the New Jersey Cultural Arts Center at 51 Bruen Street, located in Newark’s East Ward.

“We are very excited to work with Newark to celebrate this important part of Afro-Brazilian culture. The City Hall Rotunda is a fantastic place to display these art forms. We hope many people will come to watch and learn about capoeira, maculele, samba, and other dances,” Grupo Senzala leader Wagner “Mestre Zumbi” Dutra said.

Residents with questions about any City of Newark initiatives, programs or policies should contact the Non-Emergency Call Center at(973) 733-4311.